What have I done? - Biography of Nightcloud
'Allegiances' Thunderclan: Shadowclan: Riverclan: Windclan: Chapter 1: (Nightcloud's perspective) Nightcloud rested in a soft patch of heather, watching him from the distance. Her soft yellow gaze followed his graceful body as he slunk out of the camp, towards the ThunderClan border. She debated following him, but she didn't get up. Why would he want her? He's never spoken to her before really, never invited her to hunt or pressed close to her on a patrol. She sighed heavily and set her chin on her paws. An older, dark gray, tomcat came stalking over to her. He looked strange, tense. She ignored his composure; he was just like that sometimes. He asked softly, "Hey, Nightcloud, what's the matter?" The black she-cat shrugged, not willing to tell him the truth. "Oh, it's nothing, Webfoot. Just bored, I guess." Webfoot's eyes lit up and he asked eagerly, "Want to go hunting?" The strong, lean she-cat stood and stretched, her sculpted muscles rippling under her pelt. She smiled; maybe she could distract herself if she did go. "Sure, I'll go ask who else wants to come. Meet you back here soon." Webfoot looked a little upset, but she paid no attention to it. Why would they hunt alone? They were not even friends, just Clanmates. Nightcloud padded into camp. Onestar came over to her and she nodded a hello. "Onestar, did you need something?" The leader cast a glance over her shoulder at Webfoot, who was anxiously waiting on the hill for her to return with the rest of the party. Onestar smiled, his eyes having a knowing light. "Hello, Nightcloud, what are you doing?" Nightcloud answered, "Just looking for Weaselfur and Owlwhisker. Have you seen them, Onestar?" Webfoot and him shared a stare and the mottled tom's whiskers twitched. Onestar answered, "I need them to go on a patrol. Why don't you two just go?" Ashfoot glared at Onestar and she wondered what it was for. But the young she-cat didn't understand what the three older cats were thinking about. She nodded. "Alright." Turning, she trotted back to Webfoot, who stood immediately and purred, "Right, let's be off then." Nightcloud took the lead, her stride quick and confident. She entered the bit of forest near ThunderClan and her pale yellow eyes searched desperately for a certain cat. She was so distracted that she almost missed a squirrel nearby, but its scuffling brought her attention back. Dropping into a crouch, she made her way forward. Someone made a noise and it ran. Hissing, she bolted after it, catching it by its tail. She finished it off with a bite to the neck. Turning her head, she snarled at Webfoot, "Stop tromping like a badger!" An experienced warrior like himself should know better! Webfoot looked insulted, offended, and hurt. He blinked in surprise, "I wasn't, Nightcloud. I hadn't moved." The bushes rustled and Crowfeather appeared, his lean black frame slithering out like a snake. Nightcloud's heart sped up and her eyes twinkled. She narrowed her eyes and scolded him for scaring her catch. "Crowfeather, you're a warrior and alerting the prey like a greenhorn apprentice! I almost didn't catch this!" Webfoot thrust his muzzle beside hers and added, "It was a good catch, Nightcloud." She smiled at the praise; would Crowfeather notice it, too? She was a little ashamed to be looking for his acceptance like he was her mentor, but she wanted him to recognise how good of a warrior she was. His eyes met hers and sent shivers down her spine. He smelt like ThunderClan… Nightcloud's heart sank. It had been over a moon since he returned after running off with Leafpool, and he was still lingering by the stream to see her. Webfoot caught the scent too. His fur fluffed out and he snarled fiercely, "Looking for that medicine cat again, traitor?" Crowfeather flinched and Nightcloud growled at Webfoot, "Don't call him that! He came back to us, didn't he? That shows his loyalty!" Webfoot seemed to take her words personally. He hissed and shrank away, stalking off with his tail high. Nightcloud turned to Crowfeather, nudging him once. "They will get over it eventually." Crowfeather's neck fur bristled and he snapped at her, "I can fight my own battles, Nightcloud. Especially with my own Clanmates!" He whirled around and stalked back towards the camp. She was left standing there alone. Why can't he see I was just trying to help? I am loyal to the Clan, loyal to him. I am a WindClan cat, too, we could be together! Being the only female without a mate, Nightcloud knew a lot of the toms were padding after her. But she didn't want them, she wanted Crowfeather! Why didn't he notice her? Chapter 2: ( Nightcloud's perspective) The powerful young she-cat was on guard when it happened. She saw them before anything else, because the moors were so flat and easy to see across. A powerful raiding party of RiverClan cats were coming at them. Nightcloud whirled around and pelted down the little ledge into the camp. She yowled, "ATTACK! RiverClan is attacking!" They had tried, twice, to steal territory and twice had failed. It seemed they were angry and felt it time to battle all out for what they wanted. Onestar came out of his den, his fur messed up as if he had been sleeping. From the warrior's den came Ashfoot, Webfoot, Crowfeather, and Weaselfur. Owlwhisker and Tornear were on patrol. Barkface popped out of the nursery, where he had been checking on Whitetail. Onestar ordered, "Get Rushtail and Morningflower into the nursery. Don't let anyone get in there!" Ashfur and Barkface went off to find the elders. The RiverClan cats arrived just as the elders were secured. Barkface and Weaselfur guarded the nursery. The rest of WindClan flung into battle. Leopardstar, Voletooth, Blackclaw, Reedwhisker, Ripplepaw, and Stonestream, were the attacking cats. Nightcloud's heart thumped, they would lose this battle without the help of StarClan! The battle went by in a blur, all she saw was Stonestream, who was clawing at her shoulder. She yowled and battered the tom's gray stomach. She heard Onestar and Webfoot screech; were they winning? She flung Stonestream into Voletooth and rolled onto her paws. Leopardstar was crushing Crowfeather, her teeth in his neck. Nightcloud snarled and ran forward, jumping on the RiverClan leader's back. She snapped her jaws shut around Leopardstar's ear and winced as an ear-splitting caterwaul came from the spotted she-cat. Vicious screeches made her let go and turn her head. Surely no more RiverClan cats were here? Her heart leapt; Owlwhisker and Tornear were back! RiverClan was retreating. Voletooth, Ripplepaw, and Stonestream turned tail and fled. Webfoot and Ashfoot were driving off Reedwhisker and Blackclaw. Nightcloud slashed at Leopardstar and hissed, Onestar barrelled into her side. Leopardstar snarled, "You haven't won yet!" The RiverClan cats ran. The battle was short but fierce. Webfoot came over to Nightcloud and licked a wound on her shoulder. "You're hurt, you should go see Barkface." Nightcloud ignored him. She demanded, "Where's Crowfeather?" Webfoot growled and stalked away. She spotted the lean blue cat lying down and rushed over to him, her eyes glittering with fear. His neck was gushing. "Crowfeather, are you ok? Leopardstar nearly had you!" Secretly, Nightcloud hoped he would thank her for helping. He didn't, he just growled irritably, "I'm fine!" Standing he limped over to Barkface. Nightcloud started after him in dismay. Why didn't he ever notice her? All that she did for him! She stuck by him, she fought for him, she would do anything he asked and he didn't give her a second glance. Her tail dropped and she lowered her ears. Tornear came over to her. "Nightcloud, Barkface wants to see you." Nightcloud nodded and slunk forward, watching Crowfeather. She would make him see her somehow, just you wait and see. No matter what it took, Crowfeather would understand her love. Chapter 3: (Nightcloud's perspective) Ashfoot nodded to Onestar and padded over to us warriors waiting for her. ShadowClan scent had been found on the territory; father than two tail lengths away from the lake. She was coming to assign us patrols to check it out. "Tornear, you come with me and Onestar to horseplace. Nightcloud, take a few others near ThunderClan and have a sniff around." I nodded and watched the two elder cats meet up with the leader and leave. I knew I shouldn't take too many out of the camp; it would leave it vulnerable for attack. But if I didn't take enough and we met a ShadowClan patrol, it could be devastating. I sensed something fishy, so I figured it was worth the risk. "Ok, I want Weaselfur, Crowfeather and…" Owlwhisker didn't seem to keen on patrolling again, as he'd just got back. Webfoot, however, seemed eager. "Webfoot." I let Weaselfur take the lead and Webfoot padded at the rear. My pale yellow eyes drifted over to Crowfeather. His eyes were bright and his ears perked; he was the old Crowfeather today. I decided to take my chances. I stalked beside him and pressed close, brushing my pelt against his tenderly. I purred a little, "Hi, Crowfeather." He turned his head to look at me with those deep blue eyes, and I thought I could fall into them. My heartbeat sped up during the moment of silence. He seemed to be in a battle with himself. Awkwardly, he said, "Nightcloud… Did you want to ask me something?" Despair began to crawl up my spine. He was acting strange, oblivious. I set my tail on his and smiled, my eyes shining happily. "No, I just wanted to say hello." The sad look in his eyes deepened and he stopped walking, pulling away from me. Webfoot stopped and Weaselfur hesitated, turning slowly to watch. My ears went sideways. "Crowfeather, what's the matter? What did I do?" He narrowed his eyes and it was clear this was uncomfortable for him. "Nightcloud, I know what you're doing. But, we're just friends. We can't be anything more than that." My claws cut deeply into the ground to keep me balanced, as it now felt like my whole body was weak. My heart burst, shattered. I knew it; Crowfeather would never move on from Leafpool. My tail drooped and I whimpered, "But Crowfeather..." The hurt in my eyes shined genuinely. "I love you." Webfoot gasped and Weaselfur snickered. I whirled around to glare at the young ginger tom. Every one of my hairs prickled and my eyes flashed with rage. I snarled at Weaselfur and his laughter immediately ceased. I demanded, "You think that's funny?" My voice was high and distressed. I truly did love Crowfeather; he was brave, loyal, strong, and kind. When you broke past his barrier of aggression, he was compassionate and sweet. He was a great cat and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. Webfoot tried to comfort me. He rested his muzzle on my neck gently and purred, and for a moment I was lost in his affection, imagining it was Crowfeather. His tongue covered my ears with soothing licks and he spoke quietly, whispered to me and only me. "Don't listen to him Nightcloud, he's a mouse brain." I was grateful for Webfoot's friendship, but I didn't want a friend. I wanted love. I jerked away from him, poor Webfoot becoming the target of my shock and anger. I hissed, "Leave me alone! Just go away, I don't want you!" The pain I saw in his eyes was great and I couldn't stand it. I turned away from the three. Springing down the hill I pelted across the moor at my top speed, willing StarClan to keep me running and not to stumble. Soon my legs felt like lead and my heart on fire. I had to stop, so I settled down under a lone oak tree and caught my breath. I was not far out of WindClan territory. Night fell quickly, and I could hear Onestar, Owlwhisker and Ashfoot calling my name in the distance. But none of them found my scent; a light drizzle had covered it. I would go back, just not right now. I ached in a place I could not sooth: my heart. I had set myself up to be hurt, and I knew it. That was the greatest pain of all. Crowfeather's heart had been broken twice; he couldn't handle it happening a third time. He had noticed me, he knew all along what I felt for him. He just didn't care. Chapter 4: (Webfoot's perspective) I flinched at Nightcloud's words. I was only trying to help her. Seeing that look of grief and anguish on her face, gashed my heart deeper then any claw or thorn ever could. Crowfeather looked stunned, and ashamed. He remained silent; he'd been pretty quiet ever since he came home from running away with Leafpool. Weaselfur slunk over to me. "Should we go after her, Webfoot?" I wanted to, badly. I wanted to chase her down and pull her close to me, wrap my tail around her and hold her close. I wanted to tell her everything would be ok because she had me, and that she didn't need Crowfeather. "No." My voice was icy cold and harsh, pain and fury getting the better of me. She loved Crowfeather! I knew it, and I had for a while. The way she made sure she was in his patrols, and only worried about him after battles. How she gazed at him from across the camp and the longing in her sighs as he gazed across the stream into ThunderClan. The hate and envy that shined in those beautiful yellow eyes at each Gathering when he went to see Leafpool. I knew she loved him, but I still didn't want to admit it, because I loved her. I glanced at the other two, "Finish the patrol. I'll find Onestar." The younger warriors nodded as they continued on, not caring that our force had been halved. I ran, too, now, my strong paws carrying me quickly across WindClan terrain and after the other patrol. I stumbled across them eventually, off in the distance. I yowled, "Onestar! Ashfoot!" The cats stopped and turned, sharing a worried glance at what I might be reporting. I came up beside my friend Tornear. I didn't even take a breath, I didn't need one. "It's Nightcloud. She fell out with Crowfeather and ran off. We don't know where she's gone to." Ashfoot and Tornear both gave him a sympathetic look; they knew how much he cared for her. That only made him feel worse. Onestar sighed, "Ashfoot, go get Owlwhisker. He's the best tracker. Webfoot, show me the way." Once the four of us had met up, we searched for Nightcloud. The others called out for her, but I didn't. A light, freezing rain started to fall and was soaking us all through out coats. Soon Onestar came over to me, sadness in his eyes. "We can't keep looking. She'll come back soon. Just let her sort things out." My eyes blazed and I growled, my own emotions overpowering whatever loyalty I felt to my leader. "No! You go back, I'm staying here. I will find her!" Ashfoot came over and set her tail on my shoulders. "Webfoot." Her voice was gentle; she was going to try to change my mind. "You're getting soaked. You'll get sick. Just come home with us. Nightcloud is a fine warrior, she can manage one night by herself." Owlwhisker nodded his agreement. I pinned my ears back and said stubbornly, "I am going to find her tonight!" Onestar sighed. "Suit yourself." The three cats turned and quickly made for home. I searched and searched, and soon I saw her. A lump of fur under an oak tree. The rain was over, but my dark gray fur looked as black as hers when wet. I yowled happily and raced forward, skidding under the tree and facing her. I purred, "Oh, thank StarClan you're safe! Nobody knew where you were; I was so worried about you." Nightcloud's eyes flashed with anguish as she padded forward to meet me. "Hello, Webfoot." I smiled at her, a boyish kit smile. I was just so glad to be with her again, I was glad she was alright. I nudged her a little and said gently, "I know you said you love Crowfeather, but he's not the right cat for you." Her mouth opened but I swept my tail over it to silence her. I HAD to finish; I just couldn't keep my feelings inside anymore. "Nightcloud, I will always be here for you. I always have been, just think back and see. I think we're meant to be together. I love you so much." For a second she seemed to consider my words. But her eyes flashed with hate, and I actually cringed when I looked at them. She snarled, furious, "If you really loved me you would leave me alone. You wouldn't do this to me. I love Crowfeather, and only him!" My jaw fell open and if I had tear ducts I would have started to cry. I looked crushed, defeated. My shoulders slumped, tail fell, and eyes clouded with despair. I looked older than Tallstar before he died! She didn't care, did she? I did everything for her. When she was lonely thinking about Crowfeather, I went to her to distract her. When she was energetic I would hunt with her, or we would spar. When she was down I tried to cheer her up with my heart and soul. She really didn't care, did she? My eyes flashed and I hissed, "We could have had something together, Nightcloud. I would have never turned on you like he did! I have always been here for you; you just never opened your eyes. You never noticed me." I couldn't stand her anymore. I bolted away from her, my paws bringing me near horseplace. My heart was bleeding. She would never accept me; she'd never let me in. She'd never look beyond her nose, notice anyone except Crowfeather. I heard the thunder of the horses' hooves and I could feel the ground quake as they drew near, but I didn't care. I sped up. If I couldn't live with Nightcloud, I would not be able to live any more. I did it before I could stop myself, it didn't even matter that I was as terrified as a kit in front of a monster. As the beastly horses raged by, I leapt out in front of them. Chapter 5: (Nightcloud's perspective) 'What have I done? Where is he?' Nightcloud frantically searched for Webfoot, following his trail carefully, not daring to loose it. She returned to the camp the morning after her fight with Webfoot, and he hadn't been there. It was now sunhigh, and there was still no sign of him. A dreadful feeling stabbed her belly as she slipped out of the camp, her mind set on finding her Clanmate. Wherever he ran to, she was going to bring him home. She would fix this, they could be friends again, she just knew it. Her search brought her all the way to horseplace, which did nothing to settle her nerves. Why would he be here? Surely he wasn't with Floss and the barn cats? No... his scent led the other direction. Nightcloud slipped under the chicken wire and clawed her way to the top of the wooden fence post for higher ground, her pale yellow eyes searching for Webfoot. Her heart thumped. 'Please, StarClan, let me find him.' Webfoot lay in the field, barely hanging onto life. He had done it; he had jumped to his death. The horses' heavy bodies stomped on his as they raged by. His bones felt like they were shattered, his fur was torn and scattered about. He looked mangled and bloody. He fought for breath. A voice, sharp and worried, sung into the still noon air. "Webfoot?" That voice. He knew she would come, it was why he had clung to life for so long. He needed to see her one last time, needed to look into those beautiful eyes. Lifting his head seemed to take more effort than all the battles he's ever fought. He mewled, "Nightcloud." He coughed heavily, a little blood trickling from his mouth. He was a mess; he should have run from those horses. He could see Mudclaw and Tallstar waiting to take him to Starclan. They had been here for a while, but he'd refused to leave. Not yet, not until he saw Nightcloud. The black she-cat turned her head and narrowed her eyes, focusing on the battered scrap of meat. Horror made her want to be sick but she held down her breakfast, somehow. She catapulted from the perch and darted across the field, making it to Webfoot's side in just a few short spurts. She crouched beside him and covered him with licks, purring. He smiled, "Nightcloud..." She locked eyes with him, hers brimming with despair and regret, guilt. This was her fault and she knew it. It WAS her fault, partly, but it was his too. He lost sight of what was really important, his life as a warrior. She shivered. "Oh, dear StarClan, Webfoot. I'm so sorry; I didn't mean any of it! I do care about you, I really do!" Her words were heart-felt and sincere, and Webfoot was comforted deeply to hear her say it. I guess it's true, isn't it? You never realise how much you love something until you lose it. Webfoot lowered his head and trembled, his body convulsing. He coughed for a few seconds. "Nightcloud, I love you. Tell the Clan I'm sorry. I'll see you in StarClan." His gentle words died out and his body stopped moving. He fell limp- it was over. Nightcloud tossed her muzzle back and yowled, grief and loss riding on her bitter lyric. He was right; they could have been great together. They could have had a family and been happy forever and ever, after they both joined StarClan. Now his life was taken too early because of her, because she was too blind and ignorant to see beyond her childish crush. Because she could not grasp who was really important to her until he was gone. He had tried so hard, but she ignored him. Now he had taken his life… Because she never noticed him. Un happily Ever After..... Hope you guys had fun reading this! I cried a little myself! Plz comment!